It sure is nice to wake up on July 4th and see a front page article in your home newspaper recounting a story with a happy ending – especially when it involves people you know. Today’s Inquirer reported on the fight that ensued after 86 year-old Fran Bogom (grandmother of a young man who went K-12 with my daughter) to make sure that Mrs. Bogom received the medically necessary Medicare rehabilitation services after she fell and broke her arm in January.

This is a story we see almost daily – falls, fractures, disorientation all leading to a loss of function and diminished quality of life…and worse – for nursing home and assisted living facility residents. I’m really happy to report that this story shows the wonderful recovery – complete with return of physical function, decrease in disorientation, and restoration of dignity – that can result from proper rehabilitation care.

The troubling aspect of this story is that the family had to fight so hard to get the necessary rehabilitation covered by Medicare. After all, Mrs. Bogom had paid into Medicare for her whole life. I urge you to read this story so that when your loved ones face this situation, you’ll be well equipped to fight for their right to receive the health care they’ve been paying for throughout their working lives. Here’s a link to read the story: High Cost, Rigorous Rules Can Trap Medicare Patients.